Vitamin K and Warfarin

Vitamin K is one of the 6 main types of vitamins. Each one of these vitamins plays an equally important role in maintaining good health. Of these, vitamin K is responsible for ensuring proper blood clotting and for increasing the bone mass which aids in bone development. Vitamin K is found in almost all green vegetables and is required in little amounts every day. Naturally, deficiency of vitamin K can lead to slower blood clotting which is not a good sign. However, that does not mean that one should stock up on his vitamin K levels by eating loads and loads of vitamin K rich foods. This is not advisable because it can in certain cases, lead to the formation of internal blood clots which is a type of blood disorder and one that can prove to be very dangerous. Therefore, those who by default have very thick blood or those who have been diagnosed with internal blood clots or thrombus are sometimes advised to use a blood thinning agent known as warfarin. Warfarin as an anticoagulant is available under several brand names like, Coumadin, Marevan, Waran and Lawarin. People using this product should always be wary of the vitamin K and warfarin levels in their body.

Regulating Warfarin and Vitamin K Levels in the Body

Blood clotting is very important to stop bleeding immediately and hence, vitamin K plays an important role in our body. Now you may think, then why is warfarin prescribed to people! Simply put, one is meant to lessen (and NOT negate) the action and the effect of the other. Warfarin aims at thinning the blood whereas the function of vitamin K is to produce blood proteins that assist in clotting. For those of you who may be wondering why in the first place is it necessary to use a blood thinning agent, here's the answer. Some people tend to have unusually thick blood. This can lead to the formation of thrombi or emboli i.e. clots as well as air bubbles in the blood vessels. If this clot grows in size and gets stuck in a vital organ, it can very well become life-threatening. In such cases, warfarin is prescribed to serve the purpose of an anticoagulant. Warfarin is also prescribed to prevent diseases like heart attack, stroke, atrial fibrillation and peripheral vascular disease. People who are on warfarin therapy should be careful about their vitamin K intake. It should be consistent, i.e. it should not drop sharply nor should it rise sharply. A sudden drop or rise in the vitamin K levels can have a contradictory effect on the benefits of warfarin.

The daily requirement for vitamin K differs from person to person. Having a diet completely lacking in vitamin K may lead to variations in the INR blood tests. Therefore, it is necessary to have foods rich in vitamin K, but in moderate amounts. Here is a list of foods containing vitamin K, which can help you to achieve a balance between the vitamin K and warfarin levels in your body.

Foods to Avoid while on Warfarin Diet

Warfarin diet is the diet plan one should follow when taking warfarin. Here is a list of vitamin K rich foods which ideally should be avoided or else should be eaten in low or moderate quantity, if you happen to be taking warfarin:

• spinach and other green leafy vegetables
• lettuce and green salads
• broccoli
• kale
• green tea
• brussels sprouts
• chard
• parsley
• mustard greens
• asparagus
• cabbage
• spring onions
• collards
• mayonnaise
• soybean oil
• cranberry juice
• alcohol

The following is a list of low to moderate quantity vitamin K foods that you can eat while on warfarin therapy:

• most high fiber fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, etc.
• eggs, cheese and butter
• spaghetti
• breads
• tomatoes and potatoes
• mushrooms
• corn
• carrots
• pumpkins
• beans
• chicken, pork, beef and ham

For a person undergoing warfarin therapy, it is very important to consistently monitor your vitamin K and warfarin levels. The best way to do so is to consult your doctor (and a dietician if necessary) about what you can eat and in what amounts.